Monday, August 30, 2010

Lake Michigan: Chicago's Best Ice Bath




Last week after the 16 miler, we hydrated and stretched. Then a small group of us headed to the Lake, removed our shoes and walked in. I was the first one in, and Tomas snapped a photo of me wading towards deeper waters.

Ice baths are a common practice for runners to recover faster from a tough run by reducing muscle pain and soreness. But who wants to fill a bathtub with ice and get in? Lake Michigan seems like a more practical solution, and couldn't be more conveniently located to our training site.

After a ten minute soak, I headed home for breakfast: Captain Crunch French Toast. Then a nap.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Eating Machine



Diets?

Who needs them when you're running 25+ miles a week.

Unfortunately, most of us don't have many 25+ weeks on the calendar, but while we do, we live it up.

Jen, a running friend of mine, posted she had a Molly's cupcake and gelatto for dinner one night. That's the beauty of this stage of training.

Last night I had half a package of Double Stuf Oreos with milk. They were delicious.

I have no idea how many cookies are in a package, but I know double stufs are calorie-rich individually. Yum!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Jar of Fuel




Some people have a bowl of fruit on their counter.

Or a container of cookies.

Not me.

I have a jar of fuel in gummy and gel forms.

Clif Shots, Shot Blocs, Gu, Roctane, Hammer Gels

They come in a variety of flavors - coffee, mocha, mint chocolate, tri-berry, raspberry...the list goes on. I'm partial to the blueberry pomegranate and vanilla orange flavors right now.

I could tell you they are delicious as perfectly-rippened fruit or warm cookies, but they are not.

Gu serves a purpose - it is an energy food designed to be quickly and easily digestible so it can be eaten during endurance events. A person may take one to two Gu's an before their workout and one to two each hour during their workout.

That adds up to a lot of Gu.

Monday, August 09, 2010

9 Down. 9 To Go.

Last Saturday. Early Morning. Montrose Harbor.

Announcements are made.

'What week are we in?' is asked.

'Nine' is shouted.

Which means, we are halfway through the training program.

Training's flying by this year.

I can't believe I'm running 26.2 in nine weeks....

And, for the 'Shout Out' record, Kim, saw you first this week. First time in three years, I know, I know...

Thursday, August 05, 2010

You Think You're Hardcore Until You Meet an Ironman

Marathoners. They seem normal to me now. My life's surrounded by them.

Triathletes. I'm impressed with the entire process - the wet suits, tri bikes, transition logistics...

IRONMEN. Really? Regular people can complete Ironman distances (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride, then a 26.2 mile run)? Now I'm amazed.

It makes marathon training look easy.

To put it in to perspective, a marathon accounts for only 1/3 of a Ironman, so I suppose we could say training for a marathon is only 33% (or maybe less) of that of an Ironman.

I met Jim over four years ago. He is my best friend's fiance. He wasn't an Ironman then, but he had it on his mind.

He completed Ironman Louisville in 2008 and is preparing to do the same race again this year. I can speak of the training process only through what I see and hear from him.

It involves very long bike rides, hours in the pool, lots of running, serious eating and sleeping.

Last week he drove up to get some open water swim time in at Ohio Street Beach.

I'm too scared to get in there and try. He swam a few miles in it.

After he finished, I met him to presumably hand back his bag so he could head home. I was incorrect. He grabbed just his hat and running shoes and asked me where he could pick up the lakefront path. He had a quick 8 miler to knock out.

Jim can eat with the best of them. He holds a record for most shrimp ate at one Red Lobster location due to a bet with co-workers to which, he won. The bet involved the losers buying the winner's meal. Jim was so confident he'd win, he didn't bring any money with him.

I know people that love sleep, but Jim's a professional. A recent rehab of their bedroom includes a top-line memory foam bed, high thread count sheets, and black out curtains.

In late August, Jim will go down to Louisville to better his 2008 finishing time. His sister Jen will go with him, competing in her first Ironman.

I wish them the best of luck.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Date with a Foam Roller

This is a foam roller.



To the naked eye, it is a simple piece of equipment used for stretching. The foam roller is actually a torture device. Manufacturers of foam rollers will try to convince you with their advertising that foam rolling is fun.

See exhibit A:




No one, in the history of humans using the foam roller, has ever smiled when doing so.

Why you ask? Because the foam roller elicits pain. Pain that you were not aware you had until you rolled on it. Sometimes the pain makes you sweat from places you didn't know you could and say four letter words your Mom wouldn't be happy to hear you say.

After the 13 miler Saturday, I did not foam roll. I should have when I felt good. Instead, I've been foam rolling every night this week. My IT band is sore again.

I may be able to one-up the weather, but no one will ever one-up a foam roller.

Monday, August 02, 2010

Late Start to a 13 mile Group Run

Thunderstorms and Saturday mornings seem to go hand in hand the last few weekends.

Hence, Saturday morning at a quarter to six, I'm standing in my kitchen eating breakfast and getting text updates to if the group will go out. There is lightening, which is what would cause CARA to cancel the run.

After some back and forth with Larry and Tomas, I find out that the 6am group would be delayed til 6:30. Then, we assumed, the 6:30 group would go out later as well.

I drive down to Montrose and get out of my car at 6:43. I see NO ONE. I talk with a CARA volunteer setting up gatorade and she tells me everyone left at 6:30am.

Which means...I may be running 13 miles...ALONE.

I do some quick math and make decisions as to how I'll try to catch my group. I'll pick up my pace to 9:45 or so and I'll use the water bottles in my fuel belt instead of stopping at the aide stations.

The weather was overcast and cool which made the run rather easy. No music and running alone is rather boring. I found myself recalling ABBA songs in my head and thinking of what I needed from the grocery store.

I told myself if I could catch up to the group south of Ohio Street, I wouldn't worry about the last mile and could come back with them. If the group passed me north of Ohio, I would have to do the entire run on my own.

I was lucky. I ran in to my group right in front of Navy Pier. Classic.

The run back was great. The miles flew by.

Sometimes you have to do a bit of 'speed' training in order to catch your group, but it's always worth it. Especially when you're wrapping up a 12.25 mile run at 9:30am instead of starting a 13 mile by yourself at that time.